Is it safe to chew medicine (ones that don't require prescriptions)that doesn't state "chewable" on it's package?
2007-01-02 08:23:49 · 11 answers · asked by Arno 2 in Health ➔ Alternative Medicine
Chewing medicines that are in tablet form will taste horrible... But more importantly, the tablets are designed so that once they are in the gut, they dissolve slowly, releasing the correct dose over the correct time period.
If you chew them, the powdered medicine is absorbed by the body much faster than it is designed to be and you end up with a highly concentrated, short burst of medicine which can cause more harm than good.
If you have difficulty swallowing pills, try halving the tablets... but don't chew them. Alternatively, talk to your doc... there may be alternative forms of medicnes that will be better.
2007-01-02 08:31:43 · answer #1 · answered by supernicebloke2000 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
You are really not to chew medicines that dont have an score on them. But if you do, it will act faster or slower then normal. Sometimes it will put to much of the medication in, at that point,
you should ask your pharmacist to make sure what ones are chewable or not.
2007-01-02 16:36:49 · answer #2 · answered by melerine 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No! Do not chew medicine that is not chewable, especially if it is a time released type medicine.
2007-01-02 16:32:31 · answer #3 · answered by tinkbear1 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
If it doesn't specifically say "chewable", don't chew it without checking w/ a pharmacist. Chewing a pill can screw up the time-release mechanism. ;-)
2007-01-02 16:33:03 · answer #4 · answered by Professor of Herbs 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Should not chew if it didn't say you can chew it. the coat that many medicine has protect your mouth and throat from some allege reaction. For example, if you broke beta carotene gel, the liquid inside can make your month look yellow.
2007-01-02 16:34:38 · answer #5 · answered by magictiger_007 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Be sure the med is not "time released", such as 24 hour. My dad cannot swallow pills and we cannot crush or break some of his prescriptions because of this. It is my understanding that you get all (or none) of the med if it is time released formula. You can always call a pharmacist at a small pharmacy. They are usually very helpful.
2007-01-02 16:34:22 · answer #6 · answered by Lovejunk 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
some medicines are time-release kind. if you chew it, you just open up all the stuff at the same time. not good! some, it won't matter if you chew, crush, or swallow it. but i assure you the taste will most probably be horrible.
so just follow directions!
2007-01-02 16:32:53 · answer #7 · answered by hack 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
If it doesn't say "chewable" then no. Otherwise they wouldn't put "chewable" on certain ones and not on others.
2007-01-02 16:26:34 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
No, the medicine could eat through the mucus membranes of your mouth and throat.
2007-01-02 18:28:32 · answer #9 · answered by golfer0197 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
as long as it doesnt say dont chew i don;t see why not, but it will probably taste horrible
2007-01-02 16:26:54 · answer #10 · answered by kallmetigger 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋